Quick Tips
- Extremely rugged terrain
- Vehicle access very limited
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Desert Bighorn Sheep | 145"-160" | 160"+ |
On The Ground
This zone is located in the Sheep Hole Mountains. The sheep population has been struggling over the last few years, but are showing signs of improvement.
In California, the desert bighorn is found in the dry, desert mountains of southeastern California.
Terrain
The terrain in this zone is a wide range of open desert valleys, ridges and eroded canyons. The canyons and washes are deep and often extremely long, with exposed walls sloughing with erosion. Despite the harshness of the climate, you should see a wide variety of plants and animals adapted to life in the desert.
Roughly 546 square miles
93% public land
Elevations range from 500 – 4,600 feet
Vegetation
The vegetation through the zone is typical desolate desert country. Some of the various vegetation types you may encounter are the spiny-leaved Orocopia sage, Alverson's foxtail cactus, Orcutt's woody aster, and the Mecca aster.
Access
The main access to the zone is Highway 62, Twentynine Palms Highway, to the south. The Salt Evaporation Plan Road gives some access to the east side of the zone. The South Amboy Road runs along the west side of the zone. There are a few roads that branch off of the main roads to give access to the interior of the zone. Vehicle access is limited, plan on hiking a lot to find animals.
Camping and Lodging
Twentynine Palms is the nearest city that has accommodations. Most of the camping will be primitive remote camping. Camping outside designated camping areas is permitted in BLM areas, as long as the site has been previously used as a camping area. Firewood is scarce throughout the desert, hunters must supply campfire material.
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